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Some are worse than others, But it seems like every shop does it to some extent. Is there any legality issues for them? Or is it fair game. It seems like things such mag loaders, iron sights, spare mags etc always get stripped from the guns for resale.
Only asking because I noticed there was no mag loader in the slot in my case for a new handgun. But what's your guys experience with this?
As a retailer perspective, especially with second hand stuff, it can be a way of finding the "right home" for it. Sometimes it is a case of being able to provide the best option for the buyer. Look at rifle collections as an example; there may be 7 rifles from an estate. they will be sold separately as each rifle will attract its own buyer prepared to pay for it, where as a whole set, the odds are more likely that the set will be reduced to the value of the one or two rifles that are wanted by a particular person who will on sell or dispose of the ones they do not want.
There can be many many reasons for this and they are not as sinister as you may think.
In the case of packages, such as you mention, the shop / importer often does not get all the accessories. You mention a case that has space for a mag loader. It may well be the manufacturer sells it with and without the loader but they will only make a case that holds a loader. There is several reasons for this. Price will be the same to make both cases and there would be no reason to make a second run of cases without that slot as they will cost the same or more and any who buy that option will be discouraged from buying a loader later on.
Iron sights are rarely fitted to rifles now as most want scopes, so we dont order the open sighted versions at all even though they may be available. I don't do much with pistols but I suspect buying from a supplier that with and without will be priced differently and without is likely to be cheaper.
As for legality. No problem there. The shop who has it for sale owns it and can sell it as it wishes, in part or in full. It can even raid it for parts or in some cases choose not to sell it at all.
In other cases, it can be cheaper for the shop to order in bulk packages rather than the individual items then split them up for stock. We can source rifles with scope and rings for the same price as, and sometimes less than, a barrelled action of the same brand. So we order in a whole rifle, sell the scope and rings etc and this enables us to sell the barrelled action for a lesser price. Especially if someone else wants a stock.
Most importantly, just because there is a space for something, it does not mean it was purchased by the shop with that something included. Gunbags come with pockets for ammo and magazines. Does not meant that they come with them or that you have to use them for that.